“I believe we can change the world. But first, we’ve got to stop living in fear of being judged for who we are.” Rachel Hollis has seen it too often: women not living into their full potential. They feel a tugging on their hearts for something more, but they’re afraid of embarrassment, of falling short of perfection, of not being enough. In Girl, Stop Apologizing, #1 New York Times bestselling … Times bestselling author and founder of a multimillion-dollar media company, Rachel Hollis sounds a wake-up call. She knows that many women have been taught to define themselves in light of other people–whether as wife, mother, daughter, or employee–instead of learning how to own who they are and what they want. With a challenge to women everywhere to stop talking themselves out of their dreams, Hollis identifies the excuses to let go of, the behaviors to adopt, and the skills to acquire on the path to growth, confidence, and believing in yourself.
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Rachel Hollis makes you feel like she’s your best friend sitting with you having a conversation. She is an inspiration. A lot of what she says in her books is reinforcement of things you already know, but need to give yourself permission to feel and do. I highly recommend both the paper copy and the audio book. She narrates the Audible book herself, so you feel like she’s talking right to you.
3.5 Stars
…in the absence of experience or knowledge, determination makes the difference between where you are and where you want to be.
Let me begin by saying that I’ve been a fan and follower of Rachel Hollis for years. I first found her by watching these videos https://youtu.be/uk499VO_wj0 and https://youtu.be/_nTsm5NZiH0 and from there, I started following her blog, YouTube channel, and Facebook page. I love how she’s self-deprecating without appearing to be attention seeking, she’s funny without being campy, and she’s full of wisdom that she doesn’t shove down her readers’ throat. She simply tells her truth and it is up to the reader to agree or disagree, and she’s fine with whichever you choose.
GIRL, STOP APOLOGIZING is the follow up to GIRL, WASH YOUR FACE. It is clear that Hollis is passionate about helping others reach their full potential. “I believe we can change the world. But first, we’ve got to stop living in fear of being judged for who we are.” – Rachel Hollis GSA is engaging and full of inspiring quotes. It was hard to read this and not get fired up.
With GSA, Hollis lays down a road map that will help us achieve the dreams we desire.
The book is set up in three sections. In the first section, Hollis gives us a list of 9 excuses to let go of in the journey of achieving our dreams. In the second section, she lists 7 behaviors (habits) that helped her achieve her goals. The third section, Hollis provides 6 skills or learned abilities that, when practiced, lead us from “thinking” about our dreams to “doing” our dreams.
It is undeniable that Hollis is a great storyteller. She’s very open about her past and journey. She uses many personal examples in this book to explain each of the points she wishes the reader to understand. The problem with this is that the book read more like a memoir than a self-help book. Further, I was confused about how the title GIRL, STOP APOLOGIZING fit. I did, however, understand what Hollis refused to apologize for. She refused to apologize for being a successful businesswoman and not the type of mother that society and others thought she should be. She refused to apologize for all the hard work it took to build her company and the sacrifices she had to make along the way. But as a whole, I had difficulty connecting the title with the contents of the book.
I identified with many of the excuses Hollis mentioned in the book. It was a great moment of self-reflection and that section is covered in a plethora of sticky notes pointing to many “don’t forget this” points. The behavior that stood out to me most was ASK FOR HELP. I don’t like asking for help because I don’t want to be viewed as weak or incapable. I need to flip that script and realize asking for help is a necessary part of life. My favorite section was the Skills section. I felt like this was where the “meat” was, especially the section of Effectiveness. REPLACE YOUR TO-DO LIST WITH A RESULTS LIST. <-- powerful, right? If you want to be motivated to be and do more, if you want tips on how to achieve your dreams, then Girl, Stop Apologizing is a book you need in your arsenal of self-help books! I was provided a review copy by the publisher. This did not influence my opinion of the book nor my review.
Rachel’s writing style has drawn me to her books. The way that she makes it feel like you’re friends and sheet giving it to you real. There were a lot of things in this book that I needed to read and will go back in reread suck as Letting go of I’m not.good enough to succeed. I feel like if it wasn’t for those excuse I’d be a lot further in my career. Rachel putit out there as something that is getting.in the way and needs to go. If you have a goal or feel like you were made for more grab those book!
Rachel Hollis’ first book, “Girl, Wash Your Face” was a book I gained so much from. I related to much of what she was saying and realized some of the struggles I was dealing with were ones that other women were facing, too. In fact, GWYF was a motivation for me to get better about being sure I was making time for self care, restarted my journey towards a healthier lifestyle, as well as helped me become more productive in my work at a non-profit, which I feel is my calling.
“Girl, Stop Apologizing,” is her second book, and while I found much information that would be helpful to those in business or seeking to “create their own empire,” the message of the book did not connect with me. Granted, I am probably not in the target demographic, as I am confident in where I am at this stage in my life. Goal setting and continuing to adjust how my dreams might look is par for the course for me right now. For someone who is not familiar with how to get started in this venture, “Girl, Stop Apologizing” will offer suggestions from Rachel’s entrepreneurial journey and provide concrete ways to set workable goals.
While GWYF was more of an inspirational, “friend who has your best interests at heart” read, this book read a little more like a guideline on how to succeed in business, which I wouldn’t have first guessed by the title. I was hoping it had more to do with being intentional in accepting where you are in life or who you are without apologizing for it. However, this book might be good for someone who is running their own business or has lofty goals for creating a new business.
Rachel’s publisher did change between GWYF and this book, so be aware that this book was not marketed by a Christian publishing house. I am all for emphasis, but I have always been told that intelligence should not be hidden behind “colorful” language.
I was able to glean quite a few things on leadership from the book, though, and as I said before, I am probably not the target audience. I look forward to reading her book on women’s health and Dave Hollis’s upcoming book!
I received an early reader copy from Harper Collins Leadership and was not required to leave a review. All opinions are my own.
A great, practical guide for moving past the things that keep you from achieving your goals. The title says it all: a shame-free PLAN for embracing and achieving your goals. Hollis takes you through letting go of excuses, behaviors to adopt, and skills to acquire to help get you past the barriers keeping you from success. If you loved GWYF, you’ll love this book by Queen Rach!